Chapter 839

You Will Learn

John and John Henry reviewed everything that recently transpired. They'd been able to identify two more of the boxcars that roamed the rails. They were successfully able to remove the HK equipment that was in them. The train was underway again with what appeared to be two undisturbed boxcars. None of their team was damaged or terminated.

"That was quite a haul." John said. "I hope we pulled that off without a hitch."

John Henry didn't think it would be a problem. This wasn't the first time that they'd moved appropriated HK equipment by trucks.

"Everything we confiscated is secured inside of trucks or covered with tarps." John Henry said. "Nobody knows what we're transporting."

John always worried about some chance encounter on the road with people who seemed a little too nosy about what they transported. The fact that the trucks were stolen always presented an additional layer of danger. Even though they would never show up as being stolen, there was always the chance that someone may recognize one of them. They were all stolen in the vicinity.

"Will all the 'weigh stations' be able to be avoided?" John asked. "We don't need any truck inspections with 'borrowed' trucks and their 'movie prop' loads."

John Henry was confident that all the bases were covered. He thought the added touch to simulate the spot welds on the boxcars was a good idea. If there was only a visual inspection done in Las Vegas, they should pass the test. The Skynet forces should be none the wiser that their precious cargo was no longer contained within the boxcars.

"The trucks are all on their way. CamNet will close down any weigh station that can't be avoided. All of them should be able to be avoided." John Henry said. "The captured HK drones are undergoing evaluation as we speak. Skynet or the Grays may not know what happened yet. If they check the 'welds' in Las Vegas, the box cars will look undisturbed."

John was pleased that so far they'd been able to recover six boxcar loads of HK equipment in three sets of two. He thought that was a good start.

"This was the third set of boxcars we've tracked down." John said. "This was the first set that was moving too when we took the goods."

Even though it was a complicated procedure to find the six boxcars they'd found, John Henry was sure that there were many more. The Skynet forces would need to up their game and make the remaining boxcars harder to find.

"It's safe to assume there are more, both stored and continually moving in transit as these were." John Henry said. "I think the Skynet forces will start trying to hide them better. They know we're after them and the boxcars."

John Henry speculated that Skynet would try to use more remote locations to hide things. They would remove them from the boxcars now that the ploy was detected. The boxcar gig itself would probably turn into a major threat. There would probably be decoy boxcars for them to find that contained some type of booby trap or command detonated explosives. If he were the one doing it, that's exactly what he would do.

John was concerned if the Skynet forces knew exactly who was responsible for the HK equipment they were losing.

"Do they know it's the Resistance who's behind their losses?" John asked. "It could be one of the other Skynets trying for a power grab as far as they know. I think that we cover our tracks pretty well."

John Henry tried to make sure that they never left 'Resistance fingerprints' on anything that they did that involved any version of Skynet or the anti-Metal group. The only time that anyone ever identified themselves was Cameron when she destroyed a Skynet mainframe. She never identified herself as part of the Resistance either. Her goal was to make whatever parts of Skynet survived think that Terminators went rogue on their own accord and turned against their creator and former master. In essence that's what the Liquid Metal Terminators ended up doing anyway.

"That's true." John Henry said. "We've seen them battle each other before."

John would really like to have a better idea of exactly how much HK equipment they would need to look for.

"Based on what you were able to learn about the operation at the old newspaper facility from energy and water usage, how many boxcars or trucks are we looking at?" John asked. "What was their production window?"

John Henry didn't have a whole lot of information to go on. The utility records were rather limited. The only one that they could go by was how much water was used and when that increase started.

"I make it at two months that the water usage started to increase. They were pulling power in off the distribution lines with an illegal bypass. There's no way to track its usage." John Henry said. "They needed to move the machinery there and set it up. The production lines weren't even operating at capacity yet. The HK Treads were still having a lot of hand fabrication employed."

John would have hoped for a little better answer than that. He thought by now there would have been some better conclusions drawn.

"So there's no way to know." John said.

John Henry could only base his calculations on what they saw being done on the day that they raided the facility. There were a lot of crates of subassemblies that needed to be opened and the parts moved over to the production line.

"I don't think we're looking for that many more boxcars or trucks even. We raided most of their stockpiles." John Henry said. "All the containers they were going to use were still empty at the old steel mill."

John was still dogged by one major issue. It was where they obtained the raw material from.

"We need to find where they acquired the Coltan from." John said. "That's my biggest worry."

Where any Skynet group obtained Coltan from was still an enigma to John Henry. He continued to check every known source worldwide. Everything that he checked on was a dead end.

"Cameron controls most of the Coltan we know about and any of the mines it comes from." John Henry said. "Mrs. Weaver took control of some before she 'left'. I have it now, WE have it."

John wondered if there is any other information available from CamNet. He hadn't heard anything in a while.

"Has CamNet drawn a blank as well?" John asked.

John Henry doubted they would get any useful information from that source on any type of timely basis. If they ever received that information, it would probably be after the fact and Cameron would have already dealt with it. Cameron liked to handle those things herself and she liked to work alone. He was sure that there was plenty more that went on that they never knew about.

"I don't know." John Henry said. "CamNet will turn anything it uncovers over to Cameron. We both know Cameron will decide what we're told."

John slowly shook his head from side to side in disgust. He didn't like Cameron to work alone. He disliked it even more when she took Savannah with her.

"Beautiful..." John said. "Absolutely beautiful…."

John turned his attention back to the operation. It seemed to be concluded for now. He was concerned about Savannah. She was still in the vicinity and with Cameron. If he'd received accurate reports, at least Young Allison appeared to be out of the immediate danger zone. He really didn't want any harm to come to either of those two girls. He tried not to think of the 'plans' he had for both of them.

After they'd checked the bridge again and the smashed truck below, Young Alison headed for home. Anna spoke with Tom and told him it looked clear and what to expect once he reached the location. She told him what his best avenue of approach would be. He was very pleased with the update and information. It would help save him time.

Anna allowed Young Allison some additional flight time in the Beechcraft. Since they'd filled up the plane with fuel at the smaller airfield, there was plenty of fuel to extend the flight time.

Young Allison made the most of it. She became very proficient in the handling of the twin engine aircraft. She liked the increase in performance and the faster top speed. It made her think of the manuals Cameron gave her about the B-25 bomber. She really hoped one day to be able to fly one. If nothing else it was clearly a classic aircraft. She read up on some of the history and saw all the multiple roles that the aircraft could perform. One of the more notable features was its ability to do a very short takeoff.

She overflew her house in Palmdale. They didn't tell anyone they were coming. She didn't cut the grass so the neighbors wouldn't complain, this time. She also didn't want to alarm her mother with her flying techniques. It seemed that the less that her mother knew about her actual training, the less negative feedback she received. She'd really hoped that her mother would have embraced her training more than she had, especially since she'd been to the future. She did receive less negative feedback after that but she still heard plenty of it anyway.

Anna thought that Young Allison was ready to land the aircraft on her own.

"Do you want to give the landing a try?" Anna asked.

Young Allison's eyes lit up with anticipation.

"I'll be able to do it with no problem." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't want her to be too overconfident.

"I want you to do everything exactly like I've told you." Anna said.

Young Allison knew safety came first in a situation like this. She didn't want to end up as a 'smoking hole in the ground'.

"Don't forget, I'm in the plane too." Young Allison said.

Young Allison touched down in Lancaster. She did one 'touch and go' first. She followed Anna's instructions and made a smooth landing on the second pass. Bob was the Terminator that was there to greet them.

Young Allison was glad to see him and gave him a hug. That seemed to liven him up a little.

Bob made it look like he was the one who landed the plane. He went inside to take care of any of the paperwork. CamNet made sure it was all in order. He then went to join the girls.

Anna wasn't sure why Bob was there instead of one of the Detail from the Young residence. Holly or Hanna could have come. Normally he went with John when he went out into the field. She hoped that wasn't the case. John didn't need to be out.

Young Allison looked at his SUV. She wondered if John was there for something 'more'. She was aware that he could be there for Allison, her mother or even her. She actually hoped that he would be with one of them first so she could spy on them and know exactly what to expect when it was her turn. She felt from viewing all the videos on the internet that when a male was with a female it looked to her more like an 'attack' on the female's body than anything. She just didn't see why some of those things needed to be done and done in the way that they were done. She already knew a few things that she wasn't going to allow to be done to her.

"Is John around?" Young Allison asked.

Bob's face remained expressionless.

"No." Bob said.

Young Allison hoped for a better answer than that. She decided to use a little charm.

"Did you just come to see me?" Young Allison asked as she smiled and winked at him.

Bob faintly smiled and nodded his head.

"Affirmative…." Bob said.

Anna was even more concerned now that something may have happened.

"Is anything wrong?" Anna asked.

Bob didn't say anything.

Young Allison was instantly worried as well. She wanted an answer.

"Is anything wrong?" Young Allison asked.

Bob was there because he'd been directed to go there. He didn't know any of the details.

"I don't know." Bob said. "Not that I'm aware of."

Young Allison checked the area around her. Everything seemed highly unusual but she didn't detect any irregularities.

"Who sent you?" Young Allison asked.

That was one question Bob did have an answer for.

"CamNet's the one who directed me to come here." Bob said.

Anna moved between Bob and Young Allison. She felt there was a threat.

"Are you here to 'take' her?" Anna asked worriedly.

Anna was sure Bob was here to take Young Allison to Cameron's base and then into the past. It seemed CamNet wanted to assert herself.

"Yes." Bob said.

Young Allison felt a rush of excitement well up inside of her. She pushed past Anna and stepped forward.

"I'm ready…." Young Allison said.

Young Allison thought Cameron drug her feet. She'd asked CamNet to 'help' her. Maybe this is what was about to happen. Cameron and Savannah were tied up now and couldn't interfere. She looked forward to what would be waiting for her when she returned.

"I want this." Young Allison said. "I want my future. I'm ready for it now anyway."

Earlier:

Savannah saw that Cameron looked at the front of the locomotive before she came up the steps when she'd entered the cab.

Savannah actually looked herself before the locomotives were coupled to the back portion of the freight train. She wanted to make sure there was no damage to the coupler or airline. She hadn't spotted anything on her own. Maybe Cameron could see a little more than she could have.

"Was there much damage to the front of the locomotive?" Savannah asked.

The 'damage' that Cameron saw was what she'd expected.

"I checked the plow before I went up the locomotive steps." Cameron said. "There was a smear of paint from the truck and a few scratches."

Savannah viewed the image from the locomotive that struck the truck and catapulted it forward. It was quite a spectacular event even if it was a little one sided.

"It wasn't much of a match." Savannah said. "We still don't know if they communicated with anyone."

Cameron followed up with both John Henry and CamNet about that.

"John Henry didn't detect any transmissions." Cameron said.

Savannah looked down the length of the locomotive's long hood at the track ahead. They would be running 'long hood forward' or in front. This was 'backwards' from normal operation. It didn't affect anything other than to put the engineer on the opposite side they would normally be on. Some locomotives were equipped with dual controls but most of those were switch engines. Visibility was a little more restricted from her current position. The signals were set up for the engineer to be on the right side of the locomotive. She would need to trust John Henry for a clear track. She actually didn't think it would be a problem.

"John Henry, do I have a clear track all the way back to the plane?" Savannah asked.

John Henry already took some preventative action.

"You have a clear track, all the way." John Henry said. "I've held all the rail traffic for fifty miles in every direction."

Savannah felt confident that the path was clear. The only possible problem she could foresee would be someone attempting to cross the tracks at one of the few crossings that existed on this segment of the line. They were basically just a dirt road with a set of cross-bucks. The chance that anyone would be at one of those crossings was probably zero to none. The area was very remote.

"Thank You. I think I'll 'highball', just for Cameron." Savannah said.

Savannah notched the throttle into 'Run 8'. The locomotives instantly started to pick up speed since they'd be 'running light' or without a load. She had over eight thousand horsepower at her beck and call.

Cameron sat on the opposite side to help keep a visual watch as well. She smiled at Savannah.

Savannah looked at her phone and selected a song, Frank handed the phone to Cameron.

'Wabash Cannonball' by 'Johnny Cash', drifted through the cab as the locomotives thundered down the track.

Anna thought things were about to spiral out of control. She needed to make sure what was happening there. This wasn't what Cameron planned or how it was to be done. Claire and Savannah needed to be a part of this. She wanted some answers and she wanted them straight.

"Where are you taking her?" Anna asked.

Bob tilted his head slightly to the side.

"I'm here to take her home." Bob said.

Anna felt a sense of relief.

She still wanted to make sure.

"That's it?" Anna asked.

Bob went over his instructions from CamNet one more time.

"Yes." Bob said as he looked at Young Allison. "Am I supposed to take you somewhere else?"

Young Allison felt a sense of disappointment. She'd hoped for a little more. Actually, she'd hoped for a lot more. As usual, it didn't appear to be in the cards.

"I thought so." Young Allison said. "I guess it was wishful thinking on my part."

Bob didn't think anyone was on a timetable. He figured they could do something else before they went home. He liked to spend time with Young Allison. She was very pleasant to be around, just like Savannah was.

"I can take you elsewhere first." Bob said. "Where do you want to go?"

Young Allison decided to play it cool for now. She didn't want to be a problem for anyone. She needed to think about her mother too. Savannah told her many times to let her mother know what she was up to so that she wouldn't worry about her.

"Let me check in with my mother." Young Allison asked. "I don't want to cause any more problems. I know she worries about me. We all know my future. What's there to worry about? Everyone knows what is going to happen and with whom."

Young Allison really didn't see what the need to wait on anything was for at this point. What was to be gained by her being older if everything was still going to be the same? That seemed to be everyone else's hang up, not hers.

Young Allison called and spoke with her mother and assured her everything was OK. She finished up as Bob exited the airport parking area. She was pleased with what she was able to set up.

"Bob, you have a new mission." Young Allison said. "Are you up to it?"

Anna looked worried. She tried to communicate with Cameron on her phone. Cameron didn't respond. She was about to call Savannah next. Maybe she would borrow Young Allison's phone. They would all answer that call.

"Affirmative…." Bob said. "I will not fail."

"Our new objective is the ice cream parlor." Young Allison said. "We'll bring treats home for everyone and surprise them."

Bob, like all Terminators, carried a large amount of cash.

"I have money." Bob said.

Young Allison always carried some as well.

"So do I." Young Allison said.

Anna didn't want Young Allison to spend her money.

"We'll use Bob's money." Anna said.

Bob wondered who gave Young Allison the money. It must have been Cameron.

"Do you spend much money?" Bob asked.

Young Allison didn't really like to go to the store. Normally if she did, she was with Cameron and Cameron decided what she should buy and then paid for it herself.

"No. I usually only ever use some if I get a gift for someone or a surprise for someone. I used some to purchase the flotation belt I obtained for Anna." Young Allison said. "I never buy anything for myself. I don't really need anything. Cameron buys all my clothes for me. My mom and Savannah do too sometimes. Cameron likes to dress me and I like it too. She always makes me look pretty, she always tells me that I am."

Young Allison was very aware that Cameron dressed her to look sexy. Sometimes she thought it was a little early for that but she liked the styles and the look. Some of the outfits Cameron purchased for her showed a lot of 'skin'. Cameron told her those were the ones she was to wear when she was around John. She also noticed the looks she got from others when they were out. It was clear what they thought about as they looked at her. The plus side to that was she saw she drew just as many looks from females as she did males. That pleased her greatly.

Anna still didn't know why Bob was there for sure. There must be more to this story.

"Why are you really here, Bob?" Anna asked because she was still worried. "I don't think it's to make origami figures for Summer."

Bob tilted his head slightly. That was something that he liked to do for Summer.

"I'll do that too as she enjoys her ice cream." Bob said.

Anna and Young Allison thought John must be around, maybe he was with Allison.

"Did you bring John to see Allison?" Young Allison asked. "Is he here to check on his baby?"

Bob was told he was the closest one to the airport when Anna and Young Allison would arrive.

"No. I was in the area to follow up on some leads." Bob said. "I was asked to come here and pick you two up."

Young Allison wanted to make it clear she was ready to do a little more for the Resistance.

"Can I go with you sometime?" Young Allison asked. "I've taken a Terminator down before. I'm ready to see a little more action."

Bob, like all Terminators, was aware that in the face of danger Young Allison stood her ground and fought. She fought and was ready to fight some more on that day. She'd even volunteered to go into the mine to search for Cameron, Savannah and the rest of the team. She said she could get into some tighter places because she was a little smaller than the others.

"You prevented Savannah from being injured that day." Bob said. "Thank you."

Young Allison felt there was more she could learn and a lot more that she could do.

"I want to learn more." Young Allison said. "Nobody wants to teach me more."

Bob made a turn and pointed.

"You will learn in time." Bob said. "We're here."

Bob pulled up in front of the malt shop. They could hear the music as it blared away inside.

"Let's go in and order." Young Allison said.

Savannah watched the 'mile markers' along the tracks. She saw they were near the 'work site'. She began to throttle the locomotives back. Other than a few 'railroad themed' songs that were played, the trip was mostly in silence.

"I don't want to have to use a heavy brake application." Savannah said. "I don't want to flat spot the wheels or do anything to damage these two units."

Cameron leaned her head out of the locomotive window.

"I can see the work equipment and the plane." Cameron said.

Savannah looked out too when Cameron said she could see everything.

"Have they all left?" Savannah asked. "I can see an SUV there by the airplane."

Cameron was aware of all the arrangements that were made.

"That should be Dan." Cameron said. "Frank will go with him. We will fly out."

Savannah was a little concerned about the fuel situation on the Cessna.

"We're past 'bingo' on fuel." Savannah said. "We'll need to get some more along the way."

Cameron specifically left word with Dan that she wanted the situation taken care of.

"It'll all work out." Cameron said. "I don't think we'll need to worry about it much."

Savannah slowed the locomotive even more.

"John Henry, are you ready to take control?" Savannah asked. "You got it?"

John Henry activated the remote feature.

"I got it." John Henry said.

Savannah wanted to try something and see if anyone intervened.

"We'll hop out 'on the fly'." Savannah said. "We'll all get off at ten miles per hour."

Savannah felt a brake reduction. It was a little more than she'd anticipated.

"John thinks five miles per hour is safer." John Henry said.

Savannah was glad to see that John agreed with her earlier assessment about what Cameron did.

"Thanks, John." Savannah said.

The three of them exited the cab through the nose door of the locomotive. They went down the steps and hopped off near the plane.

"We're clear." Savannah said.

The locomotives revved up with a cloud of black smoke which followed the 'turbo lag' and accelerated away.

The air horn blasted a final salute.

You Know Who You Are

I know how the game is played
I don't understand why
I've always spoken the truth
I've never told you a lie

You don't need to hide
Just be who you are
We can converse and talk
Communication can go far

Everything is checked
Everything is tracked
I have to be ready
In case we're attacked

It is what it is
To me personally gripe
Skip the dramatics
Forget the hype

I know who you are
It matters not the name
The person inside
Is still the same

I don't want to argue
I don't want to fight
Nobody is wrong
If everybody is right

Nobody